Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen Season 18 Episode 8

Reality Insight Hub

Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen (2008) Season 18 Episode 8 - New England Sandwiches  #Cook's #RealityInsightHub   🎞 Please subscribe to our official channel to watch the full movie for free, as soon as possible. ❤️Reality Insight Hub❤️ 👉 Official Channel: https://www.dailymotion.com/TrailerBolt 👉 THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Transcript

00:00Cook's Country is about more than just getting dinner on the table.

00:09We're also fascinated by the people and stories behind the dishes.

00:14We go inside kitchens in every corner of the country to learn how real people cook.

00:20And we look back through time to see how history influences the way we eat today.

00:25We bring that inspiration back to our test kitchen so we can share it with you.

00:31This is Cook's Country.

00:37Today on Cook's Country, Ashley makes Jitto-style steak bombs.

00:43I talk about regional sandwich names.

00:45Jack explores the world of squash.

00:48And Brian visits a Boston sandwich shop and shares his version of their eggplant Spucky.

00:53That's all right here on Cook's Country.

01:06Philly's got their cheese steaks and Chicago's famous for their Italian beef sandwiches.

01:11Out in L.A., you've got the famous French dip.

01:14But here in New England, well, we like a good steak bomb.

01:18And da bomb, Ashley, is here.

01:20Sorry, she's going to show us how to make this great sandwich.

01:24I am.

01:24So if you're from New England, chances are you have had a steak bomb.

01:28And you know just how good they are.

01:30But the one that we love the most is a place up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

01:35And it's a super steak shop.

01:36It's called Jitto's Super Steak.

01:38And they have the most amazing steak bombs, super tender meat, the vegetables, the onions,

01:43the mushrooms, and the peppers are super, super well seasoned and cooked to perfection.

01:47All right.

01:47So let me show you our version of how to make that.

01:50Okay.

01:51So we're going to start with some vegetable preparation.

01:53We've got our usual suspects, red bell pepper, some white mushrooms, and an onion.

01:58Pepper's, onion's mushroom.

01:59Mm-hmm.

01:59Gotta have it.

02:01So I'm just going to use the striations of the onion and kind of guide me across the onion.

02:05Just a quarter inch thick slices.

02:09All right.

02:09Now for this red bell pepper, I'm just going to stem seed and then slice this pretty thinly

02:14as well, about a quarter inch thick as well.

02:16Okay.

02:20All right.

02:20Now for the mushrooms, I've got four ounces here, just plain white button mushrooms.

02:24I'm just going to stem them and then halve them and slice them thin.

02:29Okay.

02:30All right.

02:30So I'm putting these in the same bowl because the mushrooms and the peppers are going to

02:33go into the skillet at the same time.

02:35Okay.

02:35Now let's get to the bomb part of our steak bomb.

02:38Okay.

02:39Genoa salami.

02:41Genoa salami in a steak bomb.

02:42Yep.

02:43So just one and a half ounces of the thinly sliced salami.

02:46Just find it at the deli at your grocery store.

02:48Great.

02:48And that is done.

02:50Now let's get to the steak of our steak bomb.

02:53I've got one pound of sirloin steak tips, also sold as flat meat as you see in the grocery

02:58store.

02:59This is actually really well trimmed, but if it did have any kind of connective tissue or extra

03:04fat on there, you would go ahead and trim it right now.

03:07I'm going to cut this into three quarter inch pieces.

03:12All right.

03:13So I'm going to wash my hands.

03:16Time to cook the vegetable portion of our steak bombs.

03:20I've got two tablespoons of vegetable oil in this 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium high

03:24heat.

03:24As you can see, there are some beautiful ripples.

03:27We are up to a shimmer.

03:28So I'm going to add our onions.

03:32And I'm going to cook these for about four minutes until the onions are beginning to

03:35brown.

03:36Okay.

03:37All right.

03:37Four minutes has passed and you can see the onions are beginning to brown.

03:40So now I'm going to add the rest of the vegetables to the skillet.

03:43And I'm going to let that go for about six minutes.

03:45But I need to season the vegetables at this stage.

03:48So one teaspoon of one of my favorite seasoning weapons here of the Lowry's seasoning salt.

03:55Now they use this up at Jitto's.

03:57And it's just one way that kind of makes their steak bomb extra special because of the seasoning

04:01out of this jar.

04:03So six minutes here and then we're going to come back and get to the beef.

04:07Okay.

04:07Picture a sandwich piled high with meat on a long roll.

04:18Now, what do you call it?

04:20The answer probably depends on where you grew up.

04:23If you call it a hero, you're likely from New York.

04:27A grinder, you could be from Connecticut.

04:30And a po' boy, that's New Orleans for sure.

04:33The origins for these varying Italian sandwich names are murky.

04:38But what we do know is that the sandwich vernacular is region-specific.

04:43And not all of these sandwich names are interchangeable.

04:46Take, for instance, a hoagie.

04:48It could describe any Italian sandwich.

04:51But a zeppelin is made with just one meat, tomato and onion slices, and never any lettuce.

04:58Here at Cook's Country, we are enamored by a New England Italian sandwich, the steak bomb.

05:11You can see the vegetables are really beautifully softened.

05:14They're gorgeous.

05:15Gorgeous.

05:16I'm just going to transfer them to this bowl here because they are good and cooked.

05:21Now, let's move on to the sub rolls.

05:24All right.

05:24Here I have four sub rolls that are split and still together on one side.

05:30Now, these are Pianta Dossi bakery rolls.

05:34They come from a bakery in Malden, Massachusetts.

05:36And this is the type of roll that Jittos uses.

05:39What's important is they use them because they're sturdy on the exterior,

05:43but then they're really nice and soft on the interior.

05:47Gorgeous.

05:47So if you can't get the specific brand, soft on the inside, sturdy on the outside.

05:52Exactly.

05:52Okay.

05:53Now, I've got six tablespoons of mayonnaise that I'm going to spread on the interior of each roll.

05:59So I'm going to do about one and a half tablespoons per.

06:01Okay.

06:03So I have an oven that's been preheated to 400 degrees with the oven rack set at the middle position.

06:08And I'm just going to cook these for about five minutes until they're turning golden brown.

06:11Now, it's time to move on to our steak.

06:19I'm going to heat up vegetable oil.

06:21I've got one teaspoon until just smoking.

06:25Now it's time to add the steak.

06:29All right.

06:30I just put it in a single layer, but I'm not going to touch it after that point

06:33because we want to get a good amount of browning on the meat.

06:36And we want to cook it for about five minutes to medium.

06:40And also, I'm going to add a little bit more of the Lowry's.

06:43One more teaspoon.

06:44Sprinkle right over.

06:46And finally, the salami.

06:49I'm just going to sprinkle that over top.

06:52All right.

06:52Five minutes, not stirring at all.

06:54And we're going to want the meat to be medium

06:56because we want it to be super tender on the interior,

06:58but cook through, looking for that crisp bottom.

07:00Okay, great.

07:02The steak is nice and cooked.

07:04Now, just off the heat, we're going to add our vegetables

07:07and just stir everything together.

07:13All right.

07:14So now I'm going to fill the sub rolls evenly

07:17with our steak and vegetable mixture.

07:21And you are generous with your filling here.

07:25This is how they do it at Jettos?

07:26It sure is.

07:27So I've got eight slices of deli American cheese,

07:33and I'm going to just put two pieces over top.

07:38All right.

07:39Now I'm going to put this back in the 400-degree oven

07:41for just one minute until the cheese is melted.

07:48Oh.

07:50Wow.

07:51Oh, my goodness.

07:53Oh, ma'am, I'm here from the bomb squad.

07:55I'm picking this one.

07:58Oh, yeah.

08:00Oh, I really have goosebumps.

08:02I'm not even joking right now.

08:04Look at that.

08:05Cheese melted.

08:06I know.

08:07Vegetables peeking out there.

08:09This is what I like to call good eating.

08:13Mm-hmm.

08:14Real good eating.

08:15Mm-hmm.

08:16Only one way to find out just how good this is.

08:18I agree.

08:18Mm-hmm.

08:23Mm-hmm.

08:23That is right.

08:26Happy dance.

08:28That is so good.

08:29Wow.

08:29Mm.

08:30That meat is so tender in there.

08:32Mm-hmm.

08:32It's the salami.

08:34Mm-hmm.

08:34It's a little tangy.

08:35That and the mayonnaise together.

08:36Yeah.

08:37Those two add so much flavor in here.

08:39Of course, that seasoned salt is very specific.

08:42It tastes like no other hoagie or sub or grinder

08:45or anything else that I've ever had.

08:47And the American cheese.

08:48Mm.

08:49It's doing its thing.

08:50This might be the best sandwich I've ever had.

08:53And I don't have to drive to New Hampshire for it.

08:55No.

08:55Yeah.

08:56Just hanging with you.

08:57Yes.

08:57Thanks so much, Ashley.

08:58You're welcome.

08:59Well, if you want to make this incredible sandwich,

09:01it starts by seasoning and sauteing onions,

09:04peppers, and mushrooms until tender.

09:06Separately, brown steak tips with salami.

09:09Assemble on toasted buns,

09:11top with cheese, and bake until melted.

09:13So from Cook's Country, Jitto-style steak bombs.

09:18Take two.

09:18They're small.

09:19Mm.

09:25The only thing I like about winter, it's squash.

09:29And I'm going to teach you which varieties go in which recipes,

09:32which varieties can be substituted for each other.

09:35And I'm going to tell you about my favorites.

09:36But before we get there,

09:37I need to talk about the thing that's not on the table.

09:39Those packages have already peeled, prepped squash.

09:43Big mistake if you just want to roast the squash.

09:45They're really dry.

09:46They don't have a lot of flavor.

09:47And if you just toss it with olive oil and put it in a hot oven,

09:50it's going to be really unpalatable.

09:53It's acceptable.

09:54Not great, but acceptable.

09:55If you want to put it in a soup or stew,

09:57that liquid is going to rehydrate the squash.

09:59Also, the more flavorful ingredients, the better.

10:01But let's talk about the whole squash here on the table.

10:04I'm going to start with acorn.

10:05This is a little watery, and it's a little stringy.

10:08So I don't think it's a great choice for cutting into wedges and roasting.

10:11I think it's better cut in half and stuff it with something flavorful,

10:14maybe like sausage.

10:16But that means you need to cut it in half.

10:17And I know a lot of you struggle with this.

10:19So here's what you need to do.

10:21Get a towel.

10:22You want to put the squash right on the towel.

10:25It's going to steady it a little bit so it's not rolling around.

10:27And we're going to use a mallet to help get the knife through.

10:31Because if you're just trying to do this with your knife,

10:33you know what's going to happen.

10:34That knife is going to slip, and you run the risk of cutting yourself.

10:37And by using it this way, and then you just keep on going,

10:40you're going to make sure that your hand is away from that blade,

10:43and it's not going to slip.

10:45Next, we have probably the most popular butternut.

10:47It's wonderful roasted.

10:49This is the thing to cut into large chunks and toss with olive oil and put in a hot oven.

10:53Next, we have this little honey nut.

10:55Very similar flavor.

10:56It's a little sweeter and earthier.

10:58It's a little easier to prep because you'll see here in the butternut,

11:01there's a lot of light-colored material.

11:03You've got to peel all that away to get down to the orange.

11:06So you're going to need to peel four or five times.

11:08The honey nut squash has a thinner skin, so you end up with less waste.

11:13My favorite, I told you I had a favorite, it's the delicata.

11:16Because you don't need to peel it.

11:17You just need to cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, cut it into half moods,

11:22toss it with olive oil, and roast it.

11:23I love it on a sheet pan with Brussels sprouts because you get the sweet

11:27and a little bit of the bitterness.

11:28My favorite winter vegetable combo.

11:32This here is the buttercup.

11:34It's a little dry.

11:35It's okay for roasting or for braising.

11:37But I think the next squash, the kabocha, is a better choice here.

11:42I prefer the red variety of this.

11:43There's also a green variety, but the red is a little sweeter.

11:46This is wonderful in a braise.

11:49Blue Hubbard, biggest squash on the table.

11:51This is often sold in chunks because it's so big.

11:54What are you going to do with all of it?

11:56This is the choice for, let's say you're making a stew

11:58where you want lovely chunks of squash.

12:00They're going to soak up that broth.

12:02The Blue Hubbard is wonderful for that.

12:04And last up, spaghetti squash.

12:08Now, I didn't have the best introduction.

12:10My mother treated it like pasta and smothered it with spaghetti sauce.

12:16Don't do that.

12:17It's a vegetable.

12:18It's not pasta.

12:19They're very delicate.

12:20As you can see here, they're pretty thin.

12:22So toss it with a vinaigrette, maybe something punchy like a lemony vinaigrette,

12:26and add flavorful ingredients, herbs, nuts, cheeses,

12:30but don't smother it with tomato sauce.

12:34So the wonderful world of winter squash, there's a squash for every recipe.

12:39From Philly's iconic roast pork sandwich to New Mexico's beloved green chili cheeseburger,

12:52every region of this great nation takes pride in its signature sandwiches,

12:56and I've had the pleasure to try many.

12:58Here in Massachusetts, a classic sandwich is making a comeback in Brookline Village.

13:03Located right outside of Boston, Brookline offers small-town charm just outside the city.

13:08With a local cinema, quaint side streets, and of course, local mom-and-pop shops.

13:15Cuddy's is one of those family-run joints that sells some of the best sandwiches in town.

13:19Owners Charles and Rachel Kelsey are down-to-earth folks who just love a good sandwich.

13:24They also happen to be two of my oldest friends.

13:27We all work together as recipe developers at America's Test Kitchen,

13:31where the two met and fell in love with each other and with sandwiches.

13:34People completely underestimate, like, the art of the sandwich.

13:39There's so much thought that goes into it, and so those layers do matter.

13:44This artistry is on full display across the Cuddy's menu,

13:47but I'm here for one sandwich in particular, their version of the New England Spucky.

13:52But first, I had to ask.

13:54Can you tell me exactly what a Spucky is?

13:57So a Spucky is like an old Boston term for a sub.

14:00Apparently, it comes from the word Spuckadella, which is the name of the roll that they make,

14:06these, like, torpedo-shaped rolls.

14:08I think our older customers know, and they get excited to come in and see it on the menu,

14:13and it reminds them of their childhood.

14:14A lot of people don't know what a Spucky is,

14:17and we've had a whole bunch of mispronunciations of the word Spuckle.

14:22Spunkle.

14:23Sporky, Spunky, people say all different things.

14:26Yeah, you should consider changing the name of Spunkle.

14:29I like it.

14:31You know what they say, Spunkle sells.

14:34Traditional versions of the sandwich feature deli meats, cheese, vegetables,

14:38and dressing piled high on a long roll.

14:41But Charles and Rachel put their own spin on it

14:43and subbed out the deli meats for roasted eggplant.

14:47I followed Charles back into the kitchen to see how their version comes together.

14:52Charles and Rachel put a lot of thought and care into their ingredients,

14:55and they often source them from local farms and purveyors.

14:59All right, and what about the olive oil? What kind of yeast here?

15:00Okay, so this is from a family from the North Shore of Massachusetts.

15:05It's a Turkish family, and they have orchards and turkey, and they make olive oil.

15:09The star of this sandwich is the eggplant,

15:12which they slice thinly and coat with that special olive oil.

15:16Obviously, the oil is going to help flavor the eggplant, but also help with the browning?

15:19Yeah, so you do want to put enough on there so that it doesn't dry out.

15:23You don't want to put so much on that it's greasy, but that's perfect.

15:26Just two or three swipes with the oil, and you're good.

15:30Now a little bit of salt.

15:31Again, I'm not putting like a ton on, and I'm not going to put any on the other side.

15:35Once the eggplant is coated and salted, it roasts and rests.

15:41Then it's time for assembly.

15:44We start with the bread, which comes from a local bakery that Charles and Rachel have been using for years.

15:50The bread is washed in that same bright, grassy olive oil, so you get a nice hit of it with every bite.

15:56I love that.

15:57There's nothing better than just olive oil-saturated bread.

16:01Yeah, it's really the little things.

16:03With the bread properly seasoned, we add a punchy carrot salad.

16:07It's a play on a mufaletta salad, the large format sandwich from New Orleans.

16:12It's got shredded carrot, roasted red peppers, olives, a little garlic, some secret spices that I can't mention here.

16:21Charles then shingles the eggplant in a single layer before adding some fresh mozzarella.

16:26This is awesome mozzarella.

16:28It comes from a company in Connecticut.

16:31They're making a mozzarella and ricotta for, I think, like 100 years.

16:36I love how much attention to detail you give to each element of the sandwich here, from the bread, the salad, the mozzarella, the eggplant.

16:41We really want to make people's day.

16:44I mean, for not a ton of money, you can make somebody's day, like, so much more amazing by having the bite into a sandwich like this.

16:52Yeah.

16:53Let's go give it a taste.

16:54All right.

17:02Matt, I just love every element of the sandwich is absolutely pitch perfect.

17:06The crunch and the sweetness in the carrots, like mild smokiness from the roasted peppers, the brineness of the olives, the hit of garlic.

17:12That's really just fantastic.

17:14And even, like, with the eggplant cooked like this, you don't miss meat at all in the sandwich.

17:19Yeah, no.

17:19This eggplant spucky, hands down, one of my favorite sandwiches of all time.

17:24Thank you for taking the time to show me how to make it.

17:26Got it.

17:28Charles and Rachel don't take life too seriously, except for when it comes to sandwiches.

17:32Their approach to food is infused with a playful curiosity and genuine thoughtfulness behind each ingredient.

17:39And their care and attention to detail is apparent in every bite.

17:52It has been so awesome to watch Rachel and Charles build that business from scratch.

17:57And I have such fond memories of all of us cooking and developing recipes in the kitchen.

18:00I know all of you helped me get my feet wet when I started developing recipes here at the kitchen.

18:05I remember.

18:05Yeah, I was just a wee lad.

18:07So I love their sandwich shop.

18:10I love everything on the menu.

18:11But for me, perhaps one of the greatest accomplishments they've made is this eggplant sandwich they have.

18:16All right, so let's get started.

18:17We're going to slice up one and a half pounds of eggplant into half-inch thick slices.

18:22So like you saw at Cutty's, they use a machine to cut the eggplant super thin.

18:26But at home, I think it's a little bit easier to cut the eggplant thicker in about half-inch thick slices, which come across nice and meaty in the sandwich.

18:34So half-inch slices.

18:38All right, so we have those sliced.

18:40We're going to throw these onto a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, sprayed with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray.

18:45We'll just lay these on there.

18:47Okay, so we have the eggplant laid out here.

18:48And we're going to brush the eggplant on both sides with a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

18:52And this is just to help with the browning in the oven.

18:55And eggplant and olive oil are really super close friends.

18:59All right, so we have eggplant brushed with olive oil on the first side.

19:03We have about three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt here, this table salt.

19:06We'll sprinkle this.

19:08We'll do the same on the second side.

19:10You just really need to encourage the browning with this.

19:15All right, and the remainder of the three-quarters of a teaspoon of table salt goes on top.

19:20Okay, so that's seasoned on the second side.

19:22Now we're going to throw the eggplant under the broiler.

19:24So we have the oven rack adjusted to six inches from the broiler element.

19:28The broiler is set to high.

19:29We're going to let it go for a good 14 minutes or so.

19:31Oh, wow.

19:31We're going to flip it about halfway through.

19:33What we're looking for is nicely browned eggplant that's really nice and tender and cooked through.

19:37Okay.

19:40Okay, so while the eggplant is broiling, we're going to work on the olive salad.

19:47Oh, this is the best part of the sandwich.

19:49It absolutely is.

19:50I love this salad.

19:51So at the restaurant, they use green olives.

19:53We're going to use kalamata olives.

19:55We just happen to like the pungency that they offer.

19:57So we have three-quarters of a cup of kalamata olives.

19:59These are pitted.

20:00And this is about half a cup of roasted red bell peppers.

20:03We've just kind of coarsely chopped.

20:06Half a cup of parsley leaves.

20:08A teaspoon of red wine vinegar.

20:12One garlic clove.

20:14Quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

20:17And we have a quarter teaspoon of table salt in that.

20:20And we're just going to pulse this until it's nicely, coarsely chopped.

20:25And that takes about 10 to 12 pulses.

20:29About like that, I think.

20:31Okay.

20:31Nice.

20:32It's all chopped up, but you should still identify the pieces.

20:35We're going to add that to our bowl here.

20:38So now we have a cup of shredded carrots.

20:41We've shredded these on the large holes of box grater.

20:43It's about two carrots.

20:44And then to that, we're going to add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

20:48All right.

20:50It has been 14 minutes.

20:52We flip the eggplant once.

20:54Those look good, Brian.

20:55This is exactly what we want.

20:57Nicely browned, fully tender.

21:01All right.

21:01So we'll take these off of our tray here.

21:04And we're going to recycle our tray to toast our bread.

21:08So these are the rolls that they use at Cuddy's.

21:11These are ciabatta sandwich rolls.

21:13Perhaps my favorite sandwich roll ever.

21:15So good.

21:16So we're just going to split these in half lengthwise.

21:18If you didn't have it, you could obviously just buy a bigger ciabatta loaf.

21:22Exactly.

21:22Yeah, you totally could.

21:24Or, you know, just whatever sub-roll you like to use.

21:26This recipe makes enough for four sandwiches, but I'm just going to make the two for us.

21:29So I'm going to brush this bread with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

21:33So we're just going to throw this bread underneath the broiler for about two to five minutes

21:38until it's nicely toasted.

21:40And you have to pay attention because it goes from zero to 60 in no time at all.

21:43All right.

21:48All right.

21:49And that bread is perfect.

21:51Nicely toasted.

21:52So with that, we're going to add fresh mozzarella as if the sandwich couldn't get any better.

21:58I know.

21:58So we're going to use about three slices, about a quarter inch thick or so.

22:02Per sandwich.

22:04We're going to add about six tablespoons or so per sandwich.

22:09And we're going to divide it evenly between the two slices of bread.

22:16And we're going to layer on about three pieces of mozzarella per sandwich.

22:20Nicely shingled.

22:22Mm-hmm.

22:23And then about three pieces of eggplant per sandwich as well.

22:27Now we just have to cap our sandwiches.

22:29Give it a light press right across the middle.

22:39Oh.

22:40So good, isn't it?

22:41Yeah.

22:43Mm-mm-mm-mm.

22:47All right.

22:47Well, cheers.

22:48Yeah, cheers.

22:49It's just like I remember.

22:56Mm-hmm.

22:57The flavor of the relish.

22:58There's so much going on.

22:59The sweetness of the carrots and that little bit of crunch.

23:02Mm-hmm.

23:02And then that creamy eggplant.

23:04And then the smooth, mild mozzarella and the crunchy bread.

23:08You're making me hungry.

23:08Jeez.

23:09Mm-hmm.

23:12Man, is that good.

23:13You know what?

23:14That garlic, one clove.

23:16What?

23:16It just comes through.

23:17It comes right through.

23:18This is a great version.

23:21You're welcome.

23:22If you want to make this awesome vegetarian sandwich, broil one and a half pounds of eggplant.

23:28Use the food processor to make an olive and carrot relish and layer it all onto a toasted

23:34chiabatta roll with fresh mozzarella.

23:36From Cook's Country, with special thanks to Rachel and Charles, a Cuddy's-inspired eggplant

23:41spucky, you can get this recipe and all the recipes from this season, along with our product

23:47reviews and select episodes at our website, CooksCountry.com slash TV.

23:52I'm so excited to know how to make this.

23:54It's a great sandwich and a great story, right?

23:56Mm-hmm.

23:57Mm-hmm.

23:58Mm-hmm.

23:59Mm-hmm.

24:00Mm-hmm.

24:01Mm-hmm.

24:02Mm-hmm.

24:03Mm-hmm.

24:04Mm-hmm.

24:05Mm-hmm.

24:06Mm-hmm.

24:07Mm-hmm.

24:08Mm-hmm.

24:09Mm-hmm.

24:10Mm-hmm.

24:11Mm-hmm.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended